System and method for visual representation of an electroni community

Abstract

In one embodiment, the present invention is directed to a method for facilitating communication between community members. The method may comprises the steps of: defining a plurality of events to facilitate communication between community members; creating at least one graphical representation of a virtual campus including a plurality of venues, wherein each event of the plurality of events is graphically associated with one of the plurality of venues, and wherein each of the plurality of venues is representative of a type of communication utilized by its respective event; providing the at least one graphical representation to the community members; receiving selection of selected ones of the plurality of events by the community members; providing communication defined by the plurality of events to the community members; and modifying the at least one graphical representation to reflect participation of the community members in the selected ones of the plurality of events.

1 . A method for facilitating communication between community members, comprising: 
 defining a plurality of events to facilitate communication between community members;    creating at least one graphical representation of a virtual campus including a plurality of venues, wherein each event of said plurality of events is graphically associated with one of said plurality of venues, and wherein each of said plurality of venues is representative of a type of communication utilized by its respective event;    providing said at least one graphical representation to said community members;    receiving selection of selected ones of said plurality of events by said community members;    providing communication defined by said plurality of events to said community members; and    modifying said at least one graphical representation to reflect participation of said community members in said selected ones of said plurality of events.    
     
     
         2 . The method of  claim 1 , wherein said at least one graphical representation includes representations of said community members, said method further comprising the steps of: 
 receiving a selection of a first community member by a second community member; and    providing a description of said first community member to said second community member.    
     
     
         3 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said at least one graphical representation includes representations of said community members, said method further comprising the steps of: 
 receiving selection criteria identifying at least one desired characteristic from at least one community member;  
 modifying representations of said community members with information indicative of whether community members match said at least one desired characteristic; and  
 providing said at least one graphical representation including said modified representations of community members to said at least one community member.  
 
     
     
         4 . The method of  claim 3  wherein said step of modifying representations includes representing community members matching said at least one desired characteristic with a first color and representing community members not matching said at least one desired characteristic with a second color.  
     
     
         5 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of providing communication includes providing streaming video of an event of said plurality of events.  
     
     
         6 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of creating at least one graphical representation includes providing information indicative of a capacity of an event of said plurality of events to accept participation by an additional community member of said plurality of community members.  
     
     
         7 . The method of  claim 1  wherein said step of defining a plurality of events includes creating a plurality of event records.  
     
     
         8 . The method of  claim 7  wherein each of said plurality of event records identifies a communication resource that provides communication associated with its respective event.  
     
     
         9 . A computer readable medium comprising executable instructions to facilitate communication between community members, said computer readable medium comprising: 
 code for creating at least one graphical representation of a campus, said campus including a plurality of venues associated with occurring events;    code for providing said at least one graphical representation to said community members;    code for receiving selections of ones of said plurality of venues by said community members;    code for modifying said at least one graphical representation to indicate participation in said ones of occurring events; and    code for permitting access by said community members to communication associated with said ones of occurring events.    
     
     
         10 . The computer readable medium of  claim 9 , wherein said at least one graphical representation includes representations of said community members, and said computer readable medium further comprising: 
 code for receiving a selection of a first community member by a second community member; and    code for providing said at least one graphical representation including a description of said first community member to said second community member.    
     
     
         11 . The computer readable medium of  claim 9  wherein said at least one graphical representation includes representations of said community members, and said computer readable medium further comprising: 
 code for receiving a selection criteria identifying a desired characteristic;  
 code for modifying representations of said community members with information indicative of whether community members match said at least one desired characteristic; and  
 code for providing said at least one graphical representation including said modified representations of community members to said at least one community member.  
 
     
     
         12 . The computer readable medium of  claim 11 , wherein said code for modifying representations includes represents community members matching said at least one desired characteristic with a first color and represents community members not matching said at least one desired characteristic with a second color.  
     
     
         13 . The computer readable medium of  claim 9  wherein said code for permitting access includes code for providing a file comprising a frame to receive streaming video.  
     
     
         14 . The computer readable medium of  claim 9  wherein said venues of said campus reflect a format of communication associated with its respective event.  
     
     
         15 . The computer readable medium of  claim 9  wherein said code for creating at least one graphical representation depicts each of said plurality of venues to indicate capacity of an event associated with each respective venue to accept participation by an additional community member.  
     
     
         16 . A method for facilitating communication between community members, comprising: 
 receiving a request from a community member to view a virtual campus;    generating at least one graphical representation of a virtual campus including a plurality of venues, wherein each event of a plurality of events is graphically associated with one of said plurality of venues, and wherein each of said plurality of venues is representative of a type of communication utilized by its respective event;    providing said at least one graphical representation to said community member;    receiving a selection of a selected event of said plurality of events by said community member;    providing communication defined by said selected event to said community members; and    modifying said at least one graphical representation to reflect participation of said community member in said selected event.    
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein said at least one graphical representation includes representations of other community members, said method further comprising the steps of: 
 receiving a selection of a selected community member by said community member; and    providing a description of said selected community member to said community member.    
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said at least one graphical representation includes representations of other community members, said method further comprising the steps of: 
 receiving selection criteria identifying at least one desired characteristic from said community member;  
 modifying representations of said other community members with information indicative of whether said other community members match said at least one desired characteristic; and  
 providing said at least one graphical representation including said modified representations of said other community members to said community member.  
 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  wherein said step of modifying representations includes representing said other community members matching said at least one desired characteristic with a first color and representing said other community members not matching said at least one desired characteristic with a second color.  
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 16  wherein said step of providing communication comprises streaming video information to said community member.